Two Lights
by DerekAMW
Summary: After Phoenix has a breach of trust with Trucy, he talks to Maya about the two "lights" he has in his life to keep him going.


Over on the Court-Records forums the Phoenix&Iris thread came up with the Secret Santa idea and the Phoenix&Maya thread copied the idea for their fans. So I got the job of writing a fic for justis76. So justis76, this is your present, you had better enjoy it or I will send the Sinaloa Cartel to your house and things won't be very pleasant.

**Two Lights**

**Rated: PG**

**One-Shot**

* * *

Down the warm Los Angeles street, Phoenix strode across the pavement that separated the asphalt to the gated housing projects that were in current development. He went out of the room he shared with his 12-year old daughter only for an amount of time that he could tell if Trucy had made good progression on her project. Her marks in science were beginning to slip into the low 70%, he knew she couldn't perform well on every assignment but felt she had been depending too much on him lately for her schoolwork and not building her independence.

Phoenix took the elevator up to his floor. He knew she would need help from him on some parts that were hopeless for her to understand by herself, but she seemed to be asking him for most of the answers and not studying the content herself. Thinking that he would be there for her when she needed help, true he would be there whenever she felt distressed which still occasionally happened, but he was not going to give her every answer and take the credit for the project.

He disembarked from the elevator and turned left down the hall to his room. He knew the familiar sound of his footwear would attract Trucy's attention so he went on his heels. He got out the key and unlocked the door which would have attracted Trucy's attention. Kicking his shoes into the closet he saw her gluing pieces of paper with text onto her big poster.

"How's it going Trucy?" Phoenix motioned towards his adopted daughter. Trucy looked up and smiled.

"Oh I'm doing well Daddy, I got some cool information on the history of airplanes." Trucy went to a study book that was assigned to the class. Four of the books had the pages related to this project torn from them for whatever reason so Phoenix had to guess based on Trucy's limited knowledge on how best to start the project. That was nearly two weeks ago.

"You just keep at it Trucy." Phoenix nodded his head and went to the computer in the far corner of the room. Before he went out he knew the last site that was accessed on the computer was a site for a new Messenger Update. He checked the search history on the computer and found three new websites that were accessed. "She must have gotten lucky by her interpretation of how long I would have been out."

"Daddy you seem tense." Trucy glanced towards Phoenix. Phoenix in response shut down the system.

Phoenix moved closer to her daughter. "You know this assignment is important towards your overall mark, but maybe I can't trust you to be on task like your suppose to when I'm out. Do you think this mark doesn't matter, that even if you get a C to a D on this course you'll still get into high school." Phoenix turned stern to drill this into Trucy's mind.

"I'm sorry Daddy, I just needed a break." Phoenix pressed his hand in her direction.

"I've heard enough of that Trucy, maybe your new technology and social networking habits can't mesh with you focusing on what matters. That won't be acceptable anymore when you have a major project. If you have a break, then you can easily take a glass of water and skim through your notes. NOT GOOF AROUND." Trucy felt frightened at her father's tone. She knew it was her fault, Daddy didn't ask for very much from her and she couldn't fulfill this one task.

Trucy fell flat on her back and took a few deep breaths to stop the flow of water near her retina. "This information is good and should please your teacher Trucy. But I need that from you 85% of the time on this stuff. Now give me a hug." Trucy rose and leapt into Phoenix's arms.

Two hours later Trucy bolted out of the shower and into her sleepwear. Phoenix felt they had made good progress but knew as Trucy in a year and a half would go into high school, the demands for her performance would need to be exceptional. "Good night Trucy, now you rest and feel good since it's Friday tomorrow."

"Okay Daddy. Night." Trucy replied back. Phoenix kissed her on the forehead and she drifted off to sleep. Phoenix slowly closed her bedroom door and went back into the small kitchen. He needed to keep his stressload in check seeing how it wouldn't be getting any easier.

"Ding, Dong" The doorbell went and Phoenix was reluctant to open it since who would be here at 10:00 PM. Phoenix looked through the peephole and saw a figure resembling Maya. "Maya, well that's rather a shock." Phoenix opened it and Maya flew into him, knocking both of them onto the carpet. "Okay Maya, I know your excited to finally see me again." Phoenix said as Maya leaped from her current position.

"Of course I am Nick. Just hoping I don't wake Trucy up since she must need her sleep. So how have things been with you and your daughter." Maya leaned in a comfortable position on a chair while Phoenix arose.

"Oh were having fun. Except Trucy may take longer to adjust to the demands of higher-up schoolwork. I have to make sure I provide assistance but that she remembers what she's learning since in High School they'll ask you this all over again at the end." Maya sighed in response. Phoenix knew she hadn't taken much schooling as it wasn't required to be a spirit medium. She just had to memorize text and how to focus and prepare her body to possess a spirit.

"You know what you should do......wait are you getting stressed by Trucy in any way? I could always come over more often and help."

"NO." Phoenix sternly said. "You have your reputation to worry about until I uncover what caused by disbarment. I don't have a date on when that will be completed. I will find a way to manage and I promise you, I will not find another woman to fill as Trucy's mommy figure."

Maya felt like Phoenix had things almost completely in his grasp. "Is she working on some major assignment that she can't focus on?" Maya could tell from hearing from other children about these projects that counted for at least 5% of their mark.

"Yes Maya she is. It's about Airplanes and how they need to be developed in order to fly a certain distance above the air to avoid wind shear or something to that effect. And results from two airplane disasters that happened in the last decade. You want to see what she's got so far?" Maya nodded in compliance to Phoenix's request. The two treaded over some files of Phoenix's which had yet to filed into a folder into the living room where Trucy's project lay ready to be taken to school. It was a baby blue posterboard with foldable ends to be more compact into a space.

"That's rather impressive. But I guess they get more detailed in high school?" Phoenix nodded his head sideways.

"You have to be clearer in your presentation and know what your partner will do and what you have pick up the slack on. Plus you have to type your content on the computer and print it up so it looks neater." Phoenix slumped into a chair and sighed. "Likely we'll have to switch schools a few times so that will be a hassle. Plus Trucy has to perform at her shows and may need to postpone a few dates in a couple of years." Maya looked stunned.

"But why, you can work it out and most of the time there's a good amount of time to juggle all the things on your mind."

"No Maya IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY!" Phoenix yelled and Maya took a few steps back.

"....Maybe perhaps I shouldn't even be here. You have enough troubles on your mind and if they caught me here." Maya sat down on the carpet and looked above towards the ceiling.

"Maya I'm sorry I yelled. I do need you as much as I need Trucy. Come on up with me to the couch." Maya slowly positioned her frame onto the couch and Phoenix's body. "I know due to circumstances we can't be together or at least be seen in the public eye." Phoenix stroked Maya's hair. "You know how I always say from the day I adopted her that Trucy is my eternal light?"

"Yes." Maya replied before taking a deep breath. "She lights up the hearts that are clouded with misery, grief and strife and blows it into another dimension, leaving only purity." Phoenix stared into her eyes and knew what to say.

"You are also a light that his gotten my spirits and my eternal strength up again. Don't think that because Trucy exists that your no less important to me. You've guided me to many clues in the past searches during our investigations, you make me laugh with you fanboyism of the Steel Samurai and your beautiful to be around. You have turned into a fine woman and your sister and mother would be very proud." Phoenix took a deep breath after the long speech and Maya began to tear up. "I know it's going to get increasingly difficult as the years go by, but we'll get through this, I'll but my life on it. And I shouldn't be directing my anger on you, maybe on Edgeworth perhaps."

Maya took a period of giggling as she was easily amused and brightened up. "It's okay. No stern Daddy but Daddy who wants best for his little girl and special someone. Right?" Phoenix nodded his head. "And yes you will find a way to get Trucy up to school standards, I think she will with this assignment. I don't know how it feels to be a parent but I can give you my full support."

"Maya, that's all I ask. You just showed me how much a beacon of light you are." Phoenix chuckled as he took Maya and himself off the seat. "I wish I could stay with you longer and I truly could but.." Maya pressed her hand and his mouth.

"I understand Nick. And just apologize to Trucy for raising your voice or presenting yourself as JerkHoboDaddy." Maya stretched her arms wide for Phoenix to embrace her.

"I will my love, and one day the three of us will be in perfect harmony. My two lights surging mine with flame and balance. Now go, you'll make the nighttime train."

Maya and Phoenix held each other together before she took her leave after a graceful bow. "You don't know how much you truly have been for me and how well we will overcome any opposition to our goals." Phoenix laughed as Maya went out the door. When she left it felt like a piece of him broke off and traveled over a distance.

Phoenix traversed towards Trucy's bedroom and turned the knob to see her sleeping form. "I know your up sweety." Trucy groaned as she turned to lock contact on her father.

"I heard you talking with Auntie Maya, said she and me were your lights. What happened tonight, was I still your light?" Trucy asked curiously in her innocent tone.

"My Trucy." Phoenix sat himself on her bed while not trying to sit on her. "Sometimes Daddy will raise his temper, and Daddy doesn't want to raise his temper when he should take out his frustration on something else. However I need to keep you going and you have to work with me. Do that and we'll bond like superglue."

"Promise?"

"Yes my big light." Phoenix kissed her on her forehead. "Trucy you and Maya will always be my lights. I wouldn't be around if it wasn't for you two and a couple of other friends who you will one day meet."

Trucy smiled at the thought of meeting more of her Daddy's friends. She then took a yawn and Phoenix pushed the blanket back onto her.

"You'll love Maya when you get to know her better. You two will have a great bonding experience. Now goodnight." Phoenix slowly walked towards the door and flicked the light switch off. Closing the door he looked for a photo album and flickered through the pages looking for one. It was him, Maya and Pearl on a loveboat going through this amusement park ride with a heart positioned above the entrance to a cave. "I miss having you as my partner Maya, so very much." Phoenix shed a few tears as he reached out for the future with Maya to arrive faster.

**Merry Christmas and a happy new decade (2010-2019)**


End file.
